African development action with informed and engaged societies
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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Facing Justice Radio Programme

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Launched in April 2008, Facing Justice is a radio programme, produced by the Institute for War & Peace Reporting Netherlands (IWPR-NL), designed to increase public awareness in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) about war crimes trials taking place at the International Criminal Court. IWPR-NL partner Search for Common Ground (SFCG) distributes the programme via a network of more than 90 partner radio stations within the country.
Communication Strategies

According to the organisers, the show was conceived after an IWPR-NL project team met local journalists and editors in the DRC in 2007. They found that independent and balanced reporting on sensitive issues such as war crimes was lacking, and that radio was an effective means of disseminating such reports. Facing Justice draws content from IWPR-trained journalists in DRC, staff at IWPR-NL, legal experts, civil society, political analysts, human rights activists, and government representatives. According to the producers, the aim of the programme is to help Congolese citizens understand and contextualise the role of international justice in their country by providing them access to a broad range of voices knowledgeable on questions of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the challenges that the DRC justice system faces.

Broadcast in French, Lingala, and Swahili, Facing Justice goes out twice a month on community radio stations around the country. Click here to listen to the programmes online.

Development Issues

Democracy and Governance, Conflict

Key Points

SFCG hosted two focus groups - one for young people and another for adults - to gauge reaction to the programme. According to the SFCG, in the younger group, all ten participants described the show as either good or very good. They complimented its unique format and said it provides better information than other justice-related programmes about the ICC and the concept of justice. Amongst the adults, all ten said the programme was of a high quality; they appreciated that it includes local voices in each broadcast.

Partners

SFCG and IWPR-NL

Sources

Face à la Justice and ICC - Africa Update on the IWPR website, March 15 2009.